There are times when you don't want to get bogged down with computers, software and other creative roadblocks, when all you really want to do is record and mix a quick demo for promotional or personal reference. That's where scaled-down, ultra-portable music production systems like the Zoom R8 make the most impact in your studio or on the road. Not only does the R8 offer 2-track recording with 8-track simultaneous playback, but you also get an 8-voice/8-pad sampler, 500MB of drum loops, built-in rhythm machine, built-in stereo microphones, DSP effects, and a built-in audio interface with control surface capabilities for the times that you do want to sync the R8 with your computer and host DAW.

RecorderWith 2-track simultaneous recording and 8-track playback, the R8 is the perfect tool for capturing audio on-the-go. Record live music performances, rehearsals, songwriting sessions or even audio for film and video. Playback up to eight tracks of audio at up to 24-bit/48kHz resolution as WAV files. If you make a mistake, use the Undo/Redo function to cancel the last recording operation and restore the previous state. You can even mix down completed songs inside the R8 and save a mix for each project.

Audio interfaceWhen combined with your computer, the R8 becomes a powerful audio interface. Connect the R8 to your computer via USB, launch your favorite DAW or use the included Cubase LE software and start laying down your tracks. Simultaneous 2-in/2-out capability allows you to record up to 24-bit/96kHz high definition audio. If you use the 44.1kHz sampling rate, the internal DSP effects of the R8 are also available for your computer tracks. A dedicated control lets you adjust the mixing balance between the DAW playback sound and the direct sound for monitoring.

Control surfaceThe R8 can be used as a control surface for DAW transport functions (play, record, stop) and mixing operations. Through a USB connection, you can control the transport and mixing functions of major DAWs such as Cubase, Logic, and Sonar from the R8. In addition, you can easily move multiple faders at the same time. No more mixing with a mouse! The R8 makes mixing a pleasure.

SamplerThe built-in, 8-voice/8 pad sampler functions allow you to loop audio data on any track. You can play the pads in realtime and combine loops to create a performance for an entire song. When setting loop intervals, you can see the waveforms for visual confirmation. Time-stretching, which allows you to change the tempo without changing the pitch, and trimming the unneeded parts of loops, is also possible. You can use the sampler and recorder functions together seamlessly to play back loop tracks while recording instrumental performances on other tracks.

500 MB of drum loops insideThe included 2GB SD card contains 500 MB of drum loops from Big Fish Audio, one of the top producers of sample libraries. With an emphasis on rock, the collection of standard drum phrases can be used to create professional-sounding rhythm tracks just by lining them up.

Create your own beats with the powerful rhythm machineThe R8's rhythm machine includes 10 types of drum kits that use linear PCM audio samples. Use the touch-sensitive drum pads to program up to 511 of your own beats, and use the rhythm patterns that you create just like audio loops. Use the R8's pads to start playback of patterns and use the R8's sequencer to arrange them into songs. You can start fast with the 472 preset patterns, which include intros, fills, endings, and other phrase variations.

Built-in stereo microphonesThe built-in high-sensitivity stereo microphones are convenient for recording sketches of musical phrases and melodies as they come to mind. Use these mics for clear recordings of vocals and acoustic instruments.

Supports SDHC cards with capacities of up to 32GBThe R8 uses compact and readily available SD and SDHC memory cards as recording media. Unlike tape and disk recorders, this unit has no motor, making it more resistant to physical interference and concerns about mechanical noise.

Locate functions make editing easierSet up to 100 markers and directly move to them whenever you want. Also, use the A-B repeat function to play or re-record a designated interval and use auto punch-in and punch-out for efficient editing.

Rapid file transfer with Hi-Speed USB 2.0The R8's Hi-Speed USB 2.0 port allows WAV-format audio files recorded on the R8 to be sent to a computer smoothly and rapidly. Use the R8 with a computer for additional music production, including editing with DAW software, creating original CDs and importing WAV files.

Tuner and metronome functionsThe R8's built-in tuner is great for quickly tuning instruments and checking vocal pitch. The metronome can provide a click track for a drummer during recording and is also useful in practice settings. The metronome can also be sent to just the headphones. This allows you to play along to backing tracks previously recorded on the R8.

Powered by an AC adapter, batteries or USB bus powerPower options provide flexibility for different situations. Power the R8 on its own in one of two ways-with the included AC adapter or four alkaline AA batteries (not included). The R8 operates for over 5 hours on batteries, plenty of time for most field recordings. When using the audio interface or control surface functions, the R8 can be powered by the computer's USB bus.

Easy hands-free operationUsing a ZOOM FS01 footswitch (sold separately), you can control the recorder transport (play, stop, rewind), punch-in for recording and change effect patches with your foot. With the R8, you can easily record without ever taking your hands off your guitar.

Steinberg Cubase LE DAW software includedCubase LE is powerful music production software for recording, editing, and mixing both audio and MIDI tracks. Cubase LE uses an audio engine that is equivalent to software that has received numerous awards and is an ideal introduction to computer-based music production.

This is one of the few pieces of gear I've bought that not only met, but exceeded, the expectations I had from reading the description.

This unit is kind of a bridge for folks who are used to stand-alone recorders, but want to go digital. It's almost as simple to use as the old 4-track cassette units. After you start getting used to it, you realize just how many more features there are in the R8.

Although you can use it as an audio interface to record your tracks straight to your computer, I prefer to use the R8 as a stand-alone unit and then use it in "card reader" mode to transfer tracks back and forth to the computer. As long as you don't change the length of individual tracks, you can edit them on your computer and then plug them back into the project. You also have some editing abilities in the R8 itself.

PROs There are way too many pros for me to list, but, here are some highlights: The effects are great, and can also be edited, the sequencer and looper are nice, and I am blown away at the sound of the on-board mics. It's easy to use, and loaded with features that won't be found on other recorders in this price range, or even recorders costing much more. The sound quality is great. The auto punch in/out is one of the easiest I've used. The only limitation to how many "virtual tracks" you can record is how much space is remaining on your SD card. This is a great value!

CONs: Not many. The drum sounds could be better, but you're not going to find any other recorders in this price range that even have drums. The biggest con for me would be that it only records two tracks at a time, but, once again, no other recorder in this price range will be able to record more than two at a time. One weird thing did happen once when I recorded a track too loud, and it bled onto another track, which should be impossible with a digital recorder. That was not too long after I got it, and could only hear it in the headphones, while the monitor signal was fine. I think that I must have had a setting wrong, because I was still learning.

SUMMARY- The R8 is a great sounding, easy to use recorder/interface/sequencer/looper/drum machine that has no competition in its price range. Buy it before ZOOM realizes it's worth more.

P.S. I've read reviews that say the R8 is fragile. I have found the opposite. My R8 has spent quite a bit of time in the pockets of gig bags, and it works and looks just like it did when I got it. I also read a review that said it was ugly and looked like something from the 90s. Who cares about how it looks?

P.P.S. If you have problems getting started, watch the videos about the R8 on Youtube. The ones by "bobritsky" are especially useful. After you've watched them, the user's manual becomes just a handy quick reference guide.

VS

Most Liked Negative Review

R8 Is acceptable, however the sofware Cubase LE5 is terrible long installation process and it does not work

I really dislike the long installation process for Cubase LE5 and the poor instructions almost none it actually does not have an instruction manual. At the end of hours of installation the program still...Read complete review

I really dislike the long installation process for Cubase LE5 and the poor instructions almost none it actually does not have an instruction manual. At the end of hours of installation the program still does not work with the Zoom R8. Contacting the manufactor is impossible and they never repond. Zoom R8 i thought it will be better.

Unfortunately I found the processing cumbersome and couldn't get the internal version of software to function properly or at all regardless of rereading the manual over and over again. Returned the R8 but kept the mics.

I read a majority of the reviews that said it was constructed weak, I feel it is constructed just fine. It's a recorder that is meant to used as such, it's not a Boss pedal that you can smash night after night. I was impressed by how quickly I was able to record with excellent sound quality, first just solo and then I began very quickly to record band practices on the fly. The built in mic's sound great making it easy to capture live ideas and performances. Additionally, the drum patterns that come with the recorder are great quality also and serve as a great foundation for ideas or for entire songs. All in all I love this recorder. I will probably save for the R24 (the R8's big brother) in the future.

Great unit and it is light and compact and durable.l got a defective unit the first time and musiciansfriend replaced it and stood behind what they sold to their credit and sent out another machine that has been great so far.

This is one of the few pieces of gear I've bought that not only met, but exceeded, the expectations I had from reading the description.

This unit is kind of a bridge for folks who are used to stand-alone recorders, but want to go digital. It's almost as simple to use as the old 4-track cassette units. After you start getting used to it, you realize just how many more features there are in the R8.

Although you can use it as an audio interface to record your tracks straight to your computer, I prefer to use the R8 as a stand-alone unit and then use it in "card reader" mode to transfer tracks back and forth to the computer. As long as you don't change the length of individual tracks, you can edit them on your computer and then plug them back into the project. You also have some editing abilities in the R8 itself.

PROs There are way too many pros for me to list, but, here are some highlights: The effects are great, and can also be edited, the sequencer and looper are nice, and I am blown away at the sound of the on-board mics. It's easy to use, and loaded with features that won't be found on other recorders in this price range, or even recorders costing much more. The sound quality is great. The auto punch in/out is one of the easiest I've used. The only limitation to how many "virtual tracks" you can record is how much space is remaining on your SD card. This is a great value!

CONs: Not many. The drum sounds could be better, but you're not going to find any other recorders in this price range that even have drums. The biggest con for me would be that it only records two tracks at a time, but, once again, no other recorder in this price range will be able to record more than two at a time. One weird thing did happen once when I recorded a track too loud, and it bled onto another track, which should be impossible with a digital recorder. That was not too long after I got it, and could only hear it in the headphones, while the monitor signal was fine. I think that I must have had a setting wrong, because I was still learning.

SUMMARY- The R8 is a great sounding, easy to use recorder/interface/sequencer/looper/drum machine that has no competition in its price range. Buy it before ZOOM realizes it's worth more.

P.S. I've read reviews that say the R8 is fragile. I have found the opposite. My R8 has spent quite a bit of time in the pockets of gig bags, and it works and looks just like it did when I got it. I also read a review that said it was ugly and looked like something from the 90s. Who cares about how it looks?

P.P.S. If you have problems getting started, watch the videos about the R8 on Youtube. The ones by "bobritsky" are especially useful. After you've watched them, the user's manual becomes just a handy quick reference guide.

This recorder was better than expected and I was actually expecting a lot. I have been using it for 2 weeks now and have no complaints whatsoever. My last one was a Korg D16 which was very old and this Zoom blew me away with how powerful yet compact it is. Works great for me and a buddy to record 2-3 guitar tracks and 2-3 vocal tracks. Only CON is that I don't like how delicate and light it feels but it could be that I am use to the Korg D16 which had to protect an internal hard drive compared to the Zoom that only has SD cards to worry about. Bottom line, you can't beat the quality and the overall product for the price.

An update to my initial review.Been using this unit over a year with no problems.The included software is a trial teaser which i didn't purchase as i have my own.The onboard mics have done well with capturing sound, even with slightly overloaded levels now n then,the distortion is still acceptable.I was a little nervous about the plastic housing but it seems to be durable and it gets TLC.The print on the knobs and buttons have no wear and my recordings have no noise whatsoever.The volume sliders are still tight.Many of the effects and amp sims i find usable.The intuitive layout has helped me improve my skills at live recording and songwriting more than i expected,and i have mastered all the capabilities of this unit except using it as a daw interface.Been a customer of MF for over 12 yrs with no complaints on service or quality of their products as the Zoom R8 has performed above my expectations.

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Playback up to eight tracks of audio at up to 24-bit/48kHz resolution as WAV files. If you make a mistake, use the Undo/Redo function to cancel the last recording operation and restore the previous state. You can even mix down completed songs inside the R8 and save a mix for each project.<br /><br /><strong>Audio interface</strong><br />When combined with your computer, the R8 becomes a powerful audio interface. Connect the R8 to your computer via USB, launch your favorite DAW or use the included Cubase LE software and start laying down your tracks. Simultaneous 2-in/2-out capability allows you to record up to 24-bit/96kHz high definition audio. If you use the 44.1kHz sampling rate, the internal DSP effects of the R8 are also available for your computer tracks. A dedicated control lets you adjust the mixing balance between the DAW playback sound and the direct sound for monitoring.<br /><br /><strong>Control surface</strong><br />The R8 can be used as a control surface for DAW transport functions (play, record, stop) and mixing operations. Through a USB connection, you can control the transport and mixing functions of major DAWs such as Cubase, Logic, and Sonar from the R8. In addition, you can easily move multiple faders at the same time. No more mixing with a mouse! The R8 makes mixing a pleasure.<br /><br /><strong>Sampler</strong><br />The built-in, 8-voice/8 pad sampler functions allow you to loop audio data on any track. You can play the pads in realtime and combine loops to create a performance for an entire song. When setting loop intervals, you can see the waveforms for visual confirmation. Time-stretching, which allows you to change the tempo without changing the pitch, and trimming the unneeded parts of loops, is also possible. You can use the sampler and recorder functions together seamlessly to play back loop tracks while recording instrumental performances on other tracks.<br /><br /><strong>500 MB of drum loops inside<br /></strong>The included 2GB SD card contains 500 MB of drum loops from Big Fish Audio, one of the top producers of sample libraries. With an emphasis on rock, the collection of standard drum phrases can be used to create professional-sounding rhythm tracks just by lining them up.<br /><br /><strong>Create your own beats with the powerful rhythm machine</strong><br />The R8&#39;s rhythm machine includes 10 types of drum kits that use linear PCM audio samples. Use the touch-sensitive drum pads to program up to 511 of your own beats, and use the rhythm patterns that you create just like audio loops. Use the R8&#39;s pads to start playback of patterns and use the R8&#39;s sequencer to arrange them into songs. You can start fast with the 472 preset patterns, which include intros, fills, endings, and other phrase variations.<br /><br /><strong>Built-in stereo microphones<br /></strong>The built-in high-sensitivity stereo microphones are convenient for recording sketches of musical phrases and melodies as they come to mind. Use these mics for clear recordings of vocals and acoustic instruments.<br /><br /><strong>Supports SDHC cards with capacities of up to 32GB<br /></strong>The R8 uses compact and readily available SD and SDHC memory cards as recording media. Unlike tape and disk recorders, this unit has no motor, making it more resistant to physical interference and concerns about mechanical noise.<br /><br /><strong>Locate functions make editing easier<br /></strong>Set up to 100 markers and directly move to them whenever you want. Also, use the A-B repeat function to play or re-record a designated interval and use auto punch-in and punch-out for efficient editing.<br /><br /><strong>Rapid file transfer with Hi-Speed USB 2.0<br /></strong>The R8&#39;s Hi-Speed USB 2.0 port allows WAV-format audio files recorded on the R8 to be sent to a computer smoothly and rapidly. Use the R8 with a computer for additional music production, including editing with DAW software, creating original CDs and importing WAV files.<br /><br /><strong>Tuner and metronome functions</strong><br />The R8&#39;s built-in tuner is great for quickly tuning instruments and checking vocal pitch. The metronome can provide a click track for a drummer during recording and is also useful in practice settings. The metronome can also be sent to just the headphones. This allows you to play along to backing tracks previously recorded on the R8.<br /><br /><strong>Powered by an AC adapter, batteries or USB bus power<br /></strong>Power options provide flexibility for different situations. Power the R8 on its own in one of two ways-with the included AC adapter or four alkaline AA batteries (not included). The R8 operates for over 5 hours on batteries, plenty of time for most field recordings. When using the audio interface or control surface functions, the R8 can be powered by the computer&#39;s USB bus.<br /><br /><strong>Easy hands-free operation<br /></strong>Using a ZOOM FS01 footswitch (sold separately), you can control the recorder transport (play, stop, rewind), punch-in for recording and change effect patches with your foot. With the R8, you can easily record without ever taking your hands off your guitar.<br /><br /><strong>Steinberg Cubase LE DAW software included</strong><br />Cubase LE is powerful music production software for recording, editing, and mixing both audio and MIDI tracks. Cubase LE uses an audio engine that is equivalent to software that has received numerous awards and is an ideal introduction to computer-based music production.<br /><br />",
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